Review: Weather Girl, Soho Theatre

Already fully sold out throughout its Soho Theatre run, Weather Girl comes to London after a lauded debut at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Written by Brian Watkins, this is a show full of biting humour. It brings us into the chaotic world of Stacey (Julia McDermott), a weather presenter in Fresno, California, struggling to keep her life together as wildfires rage all around her.

Stacey’s job demands that she put on a smile and report the sunshine. But just beyond the camera, fires are burning down homes and claiming lives. All bright and bubbly on screen, an all-American girl, she’s caught the eye of management and has been promoted to a new job that doubles her salary but moves her to Phoenix, Arizona – even hotter than Fresno! What her bosses don’t know is that the slurpee cup she carries to stay hydrated is actually filled with prosecco, or sometimes vodka, and internally she is starting to unravel in a big way.

At the heart of the show is McDermott’s electrifying performance. She fully embodies Stacey’s despair and her desperate need for people to reconnect with the Earth; to acknowledge that we are going through a climate catastrophe, and to do something about it! She infuses Stacey with a manic energy, almost non-stop speaking – appearing filled with movement and motion, even when standing still waiting on a camera cue for her forecast.

As Stacey unravels under the growing toll, she delivers a sudden revelation: her mother – a homeless drug addict who no longer recognises her – may be a fish. It’s one of the play’s more surreal turns (and there are a few), stated deadpan, almost casually, before unfolding into something stranger and more profound; fully embracing magic realism and leading Stacey on a journey to draw water directly from the ground. Fish, of course, are utterly dependent on water, something that Fresno desperately needs in order to fight the ongoing wildfires and provide some relief from the 100+ degree heat.

McDermott’s ability to switch between light-hearted charm and moments of devastating vulnerability keeps the audience gripped. Tyne Rafaeli’s taut direction brings an intensity to the storytelling that never lets up, pulling us along at breakneck speed – much as the Earth hurtles towards irreversible climate change. McDermott’s comic timing is also excellent and really well supported by the team, with Isabella Byrd’s simple design allowing us to be in a TV studio or to effectively move into smoky orange wildfires, light and smoke combining. Kieran Lucas’ sound design contributes throughout; in the background as the crackle of the ubiquitous fires or the sirens of emergency services.

Weather Girl forces us to confront the absurdity of how crises, both personal and global, can be packaged and sold to us. It doesn’t just explore one woman’s breakdown but taps into the wider institutional insistence on keeping the public distracted; reassuring us that everything is fine while the world quite literally burns. Stacey’s unravelling mirrors sections of society’s collective denial, her prosecco-filled cup a means to numb herself to disaster. The play tackles the climate crisis and our relationship with the Earth through a dark comedic lens. Yet although full of sharp wit, Watkins’ script also has an ability to balance humour with a poignant message, which is enhanced by a thrilling, singular performance from McDermott.

Written by: Brian Watkins
Directed by: Tyne Rafaeli
Design by: Isabella Byrd
Sound Design by: Kieran Lucas

Weather Girl plays at Soho Theatre until Saturday 5 April.